Cool by Lupe Fiasco Lyrics Meaning – Exploring the Layers of Street Narratives and Existentialism

You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for Lupe Fiasco's Cool at Lyrics.org.

Lyrics

He came back in the same suit that he was buried in
Similar to the one his grandfather was married in
Yes, he was still fresh to death
Bling, two earrings, a chain laying on his chest
He still had it ’cause they couldn’t find it
And the bullets from his enemies sat like two inches behind it
Smell the Hennessey from where his niggas got reminded
And poured out liquor in his memory, he didn’t mind it
But, he couldn’t sip it fast enough
So the liquor was just filling the casket up
Floating down by his feet was the letter from his sister
Second-grade handwriting, simply read, I miss you
Suit-jacket pocket held his baby daughter’s picture
Right next to it, one of his men stuck a swisha
He had a notion as he lay there soaking
He saw that the latch was broken, he kicked his casket open and he

This life goes passing you by
It might go fast if you lie
You’re born, you live, then you die
Oh, oh, oh, oh
If life goes passing you by
Don’t cry
If you’re breaking the rules
Making your moves
Paying your dues
Chasing the cool

Not at all nervous as he dug to the surface
Tarnished gold chain is what he loosened up the earth with
He used his mouth as a shovel to try and hollow it
And when he couldn’t dirt-spit, he swallowed it, working like a
Hmmm reverse archaeologist
Except, his buried treasure was sunshine
So when some shined through a hole that he had drove
It reflected off the gold and almost made son blind
He grabbed onto some grass and climbed
Pulled himself up out of his own grave, and looked at the time
On the watch that had stopped six months after the shots
That had got him in the box, ringing Henney out his socks
He figured it was hours, because he wasn’t older
Used some flowers to brush the dirt up off his shoulder, so
With a right hand that was all bones
And no reason to stay, he decided to walk home, so he?

This life goes passing you by
It might go fast if you lie
You’re born, you live, then you die
Oh, oh, oh, oh
If life goes passing you by
Don’t cry
If you’re breaking the rules
Making your moves
Paying your dues
Chasing the cool

He begged for some change, to get him on the train
Damn that nigga stank, is what they complained
Tried to light the blunt but it burst into flames
Caught the reflection in the window of what he became
A long look, was he shook, was it the shame?
Matter of fact, the only thing on his brain was brains
Yeah, and getting back in his lane, doing his thing
First he had to find something to sling
Next stop was his block, it had the same cops
He walked right past the same spot where he was shot
Shocked, and some little niggas tried to sell him rocks
It just felt weird, being on the opposite
They figured that he wasn’t from there so they pulled out
And robbed him with the same gun they shot him with
They put it to his head and said, you’re scared, ain’t cha?
He said, “hustler for death, no heaven for a gangsta”, and

This life goes passing you by
It might go fast if you lie
You’re born, you live, then you die
Oh, oh, oh, oh
If life goes passing you by
Don’t cry
If you’re breaking the rules
Making your moves
Paying your dues
Chasing the cool

Lupe Fiasco’s ‘Cool’ is not just another track with a catchy hook—it’s a lyrical journey punctuated by the profound and disturbingly raw realities of street life. Through stunning imagery and narrative storytelling wrapped in seemingly smooth beats, Fiasco delivers a tale that transcends the borders of traditional hip-hop subject matter.

The song is a posthumous romp where the protagonist’s death is only the beginning of the narrative. ‘Cool’ delves into subjects of life, death, crime, and the ironies entangled within the choices made on the streets—choices that often spell a cyclical fate. It’s a piece etching the outline of a phantom who no longer partakes in life but is nonetheless affected by its aftershocks.

Death is Just the Beginning

In a chilling opening verse, ‘Cool’ paints the picture of a fallen character returning in his burial suit, indicating that even in death, his style and persona linger. The jewelry adorned on his corpse not only represents material wealth but also how closely one’s identity is tied to these worldly possessions, even beyond the grave.

But these possessions are superficial compared to the enduring connections depicted: the scent of Hennessey, poignant letters, and tender family photos showing that memories and grief outlast the glitter of materialism. Fiasco skillfully juxtaposes the tangible and intangible inheritances of life.

Chasing Ephemeral Coolness

The hook of ‘Cool’ encapsulates the brevity of life with its ‘born, you live, then you die’ prognosis, suggesting that people’s attempts to chase ‘cool’, to make a mark or chase dreams, are inherently fleeting. Coolness is not a perpetual state but a transitory chase, a temporary fix.

This ephemeral ‘cool’ that so many pursue often leads to a life of rule-breaking, risk-taking, and societal dues-paying. The protagonist’s journey appears to underscore the hollowness of these pursuits in the grander scheme of existence.

A Sisyphus in the Hood

The protagonist’s struggle to emerge from his own grave is a metaphor for the uphill battle faced by many entangled in street life. Like the mythological Sisyphus, he works tirelessly only to be caught in a loop of futility—rising from the dead, yet still bound by the same vice and violence that led to his demise.

Fiasco’s clever play with a ‘reverse archaeologist’ is entwined with irony; the pursuit of sunshine and life’s buried treasures, contrasted with the grim labor of unearthing oneself from the depths of self-destruction.

The Song’s Hidden Meaning: Reflections in the Window

There’s a turning point when the character’s reflection ‘in the window of what he became’ evokes a profound sense of self-awareness. It’s not just the physical decay, but an internal reckoning with the ghost of the man he once was. It’s this confrontation with self that serves as the axis of the song’s deeper message.

The shattered identity is further cemented when the protagonist encounters a community that no longer recognizes him, and he faces the ultimate humiliation via the same weapon that had killed him. In this full-circle narrative, Fiasco touches on themes of alienation and the perpetual outsider in one’s own life and death.

Memorable Lines: A Gritty Reality Check

‘Hustler for death, no heaven for a gangsta’—this line stands not only as a stark outlook on the afterlife but also acts as a chilling acknowledgment of the consequences of the character’s life choices. It suggests that the consequences of a life of crime and hustle don’t end with death, resonating a tone similar to classic Greek or Shakespearean tragedies.

Lupe Fiasco’s ‘Cool’ is in many ways a gritty, tragic soliloquy presented under the guise of hip-hop stylism. It’s a narrative that shows how the chains of one’s actions can incarcerate far beyond any societal systems—a ghost story where the spirit is weighed down by unresolved pasts, unhinged futures, and the relentless chase for something as intangible as coolness itself.